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Free meals will continue with adjusted menus during Ramadan, govt says
The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has stated that the meals provided during Ramadan will have a longer shelf life than usual, which will allow fasting students to take their meals home for iftar.
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Quality check: Indonesian Navy chief-of-staff Adm. Muhammad Ali (fourth right) inspects a caterer for the free nutritious meals program on Jan. 14 at the Navy Command and Staff School (Seskoal) in Cipulir, South Jakarta. The Seskoal caterer distributes up to 4,000 portions of packaged meals to eight schools across Cipulir under the government's free meals program. (Antara/Rivan Awal Lingga)
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he National Nutrition Agency (BGN) has announced that President Prabowo Subianto's flagship free meals program for schoolchildren will continue during Ramadan, with an updated menu that will allow fasting students to take their meals home for iftar.
“The free meals program will remain in effect throughout the school session, including during Ramadan,” agency head Dadan Hindayana said on Monday, as reported by Kompas.
“Students can either take their meals home or eat them discreetly at school” to show respect for those observing the fast, he added.
Muslims, who make up about 80 percent of Indonesia's 280 million population, are required to fast for an entire month during Ramadan. While Muslim children are not obligated to fast until they reach puberty, which is typically between the ages of 10 and 14 for girls, and 12 and 16 for boys, many express a desire to fast and actively participate.
This year, Ramadan is expected to begin on March 2, based on astronomical calculations, but the official decision will have to wait for the sighting of a hilal (new moon).
Dadan stated that the meals provided during Ramadan will have a longer shelf life than usual, including items such as packaged milk, boiled eggs, dates, fortified biscuits and fruits, along with occasional servings of mung bean porridge or the popular Ramadan snack kolak pisang (bananas cooked in coconut milk and palm sugar).
Previously, there have been reports of students complaining that the meals served under the free meals program have spoiled or even contained maggots. Since the program's launch last month, at least four food poisoning incidents have been linked to the free meals project, causing dozens of students to fall ill.
